It was founded in 1933. Formerly owned by the State of Israel, in 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized and renamed IWI.

IWI is one of the world's most famous and bestselling military arms manufacturers.[2] The Magen division rose to international prominence in the 1950s, as the creator of the Uzi, of which over 10 million would be produced, netting billions of dollars for the company.[3] Subsequent well known military exports have included the Negev light machine gun, Galil assault rifle, Tavor assault rifle, and the DAN .338 sniper rifle.

IWI develops and manufactures guns used by armies and law enforcement agencies around the world.[4]

Manufacturing

Ramat HaSharon

For many decades, IWI and the Magen division of Israeli Military Industries before it, has manufactured its weapons in Ramat HaSharon. The factory has for many years been regarded an important component of the manufacturing sector in Ramat HaSharon. In 2017, IWI announced it is planning to construct a new factory in Kiryat Gat, to which its manufacturing will re-locate when completed in 2020. The new Kiryat Gat factory, whose construction will cost NIS 180 million, will employ 560 full-time production workers and engineers on its assembly lines.[5]

Overseas

IWI owns several factories overseas, for the manufacture of weapons for local markets. In India, IWI is establishing a joint-manufacturing center with Punj Lloyd (with IWI owning 49% of the plant, and Punj Lloyd owning 51% of the plant), which will be India's first privately-owned small-arms manufacturing plant. The factory will manufacture firearms for the Indian army.[6] IWI said in 2017, that it expects tenders with the Indian army in the region of $200–300 million.[7]